Washington Attorney General Nick Brown will deliver the University of Puget Sound’s Fall Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture in Public Affairs and the Arts. Brown will speak on “Protecting the Freedom to Learn” at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, in Upper Marshall Hall in the Wheelock Student Center.
As Washington's 19th Attorney General, a proud product of public schools, an Army veteran, and the former U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, Brown offers a deeply rooted and lived perspective on the protection of constitutional rights, the rule of law, and the defense of public institutions.
Brown will address the critical legal and societal questions facing higher education today. He will draw from his extensive career, which includes serving as general counsel to the governor, defending landmark public safety laws in complex civil litigation, and federal leadership in civil rights and public safety. Against a backdrop of increasing public distrust, cultural polarization, and shifting government actions, the lecture will examine the vital balance between individual and institutional academic freedom. Brown will explore the fundamental rights of educators, researchers, and universities to pursue truth, conduct open inquiry, and manage curricula free from institutional censorship.
Brown will also share personal reflections on how his own education shaped his professional path from Steilacoom to Morehouse College, Harvard Law School, and the state’s highest legal office.
A question-and-answer session will follow his talk. Members of the campus and Tacoma communities are invited to attend. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged. Register at cvent.me/9g7YLP.
Established in 2002 in honor of President Emerita Susan Resneck Pierce, the lecture series brings renowned intellectuals, writers, and artists in public affairs and the arts to Puget Sound.
